Strictly Come Dancing Week 13 - Semi Final

In the semi-final, each couple performed an Argentine Tango and their favourite dance of the series (but with new music and choreography). Rachel and Vincent chose the American Smooth.

Rachel and Vincent danced the Argentine Tango to When Doves Cry by Prince. After last weeks' stunning Tango, expectations were running high, and the couple didn't disappoint. Arlene said: "This dance is about longing and yearning. You connected, and the yearning and burning was so hot, it was burning a hole in the floor." Len thought: "A technical tour-de-force. So precise. It could have done with a little bit more of a dramatic edge." Bruno enthused: "It was incredible, at moments you seemed to morph into a sensual being with four legs. Talk about caressing the floor, your feet were kissing the floor. The sequences were so difficult, and executed with such finesse and ease, it was superb. Craig mused: "What is difficult about this dance is maintaining that connection and stillness of body, while the downstairs is going mad. And you did that absolutely brilliantly. Once again they were given 39 points.



Rachel and Vincent danced an American Smooth to Mandy by Barry Manilow. Rachel has confessed to being desperate to make it into the final, and a good performance here could seal it for her. Arlene had high praise: "If ever there's a return to Hollywood movies, Rachel is our Ginger Rogers." Len said: "As a performance, I liked it very much. And I liked the lifts. But it was just wandering around the floor and doing a few steps." Bruno felt: "For me it had the quality of the most beautiful dreams... you've always been a great dancer, and you'll be a great performer too." Craig added: "It was gorgeous, and I loved it." They scored 36 points for this dance.



With Rachel and Lisa both getting 75 points from the judges, the audience vote was unable to save anyone from the dance-off. So it was decided to put all the couples through. Viewers were assured their votes would be included in next Saturday's final.